(Contactless) control of hook motions during offshore installations using floating vessels 

Your role in the story 

Are you a final-year student with a passion for offshore engineering and looking for a graduation assignment that makes real impact? Join us and become part of a team that works on complex and large-scale offshore projects within one of our engineering disciplines. Kick-start your career with a graduation project in the heart of Product Development. As a graduation student, you’ll dive into a challenging assignment that contributes directly to our operations, innovation efforts, or future developments. You'll be guided by experienced engineers and exposed to the practical world of offshore engineering, from concept development to project execution. 

What’s the challenge 

During offshore installation, wave motion of a floating vessel is transferred to the payload through the motion of the crane and hook. Current strategies to reduce the effect of these undesired wave-induced payload motions involve the use of tugger line systems. These conventional systems are not ideal as they can only apply tensile forces to the suspended payload. Recently, an electromagnetic control strategy was proposed to control the motion of suspended payloads. While this system operates using a non-contact principle, it requires forces to be applied to the load, which might be undesirable for some types of payloads. Ideally, the motion of the payload is controlled by manipulating the motion of only the hook to create a method that is independent of the specific object that is lifted.  This project explores different options available and will further develop the best (contactless) hook control method. 

Your mission & goals 

Goals 

• Model the structural response of a payload during installation using a floating vessel 

• Design an effective mechanism to control the motion of the hook and, indirectly, the payload 

Prerequisites 

• Structural dynamics 

• Interest in non-linear dynamics is a plus 

What you’ll gain 

• Hands-on experience with industry-standard and in-house developed software tools to model real operational environments 

• A deeper understanding of Heerema’s unique offshore operations 

• The chance to work in an energetic and collaborative environment where learning never stops 

Is this you?

• You’re studying a MSc / WO / HBO in Civil, Mechanical, Maritime, or Aerospace Engineering 

• You’re fascinated by offshore operations, installation techniques, control, and mechanical systems 

• You have basic knowledge of Python and Matlab/Simulink 

• You’re fluent in English 

• You bring an independent, analytical, and curious mindset 

Practical Information 

Start date: February 2025, flexible upon agreement 

Duration: 6–9 months 

Location: Leiden office